Phuket News
Discover the latest news and updates from Thailand’s most famous and beautiful island, The Thaiger’s hometown, having previously operated as the Phuket Gazette.
Our team brings you breaking news, in-depth analysis, and exclusive stories from Phuket, covering everything from local politics and business to lifestyle and tourism. Learn about the island’s stunning beaches, vibrant nightlife, and thriving expat community, as well as keeping updated on events, and attractions.
The Thaiger is your ultimate guide to staying connected with Phuket’s ever-evolving landscape. To keep up with the most reliable news source on the island, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on social media.
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Sponsored Infinito helps hotels in Thailand with revenue management
Maximising revenue and profit–isn’t that the ultimate goal for every business in the hospitality industry? If you run a hotel, you might have heard that revenue management is an effective way to boost your top-line revenue. It involves using data...
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Software Park Phuket opens tomorrow
WICHIT, PHUKET: Software Park Phuket is to officially kick off services from its first phase of development with an opening ceremony tomorrow. Director Kongkiat Kespechara said the soft opening is intended to demonstrate the readiness of the park’s facilities and its business-incubation center. The first phase of development has cost about 25 million baht. The park has 1,250 square meters…
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Phuket placebos for cell phone ‘spamdemic’
PHUKET: Fed up with the annoying SMS messages and breathless phone calls imploring you to buy awesome ring tones? The Thai government wants to help you, but here in Phuket, at least, don’t expect much interim relief from your mobile phone service provider. “We plan to introduce something like a ‘Do-Not-Call Center’ in a bid to block unwanted SMS messages,”…
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Strong rains, heavy seas in Phuket
PHUKET CITY: The Meteorological Department (MET) has issued an advisory of strong monsoon conditions in Phuket over the next few days resulting in unusually rough seas and scattered showers with the possibility of torrential rain at times. In its national weather advisory issued earlier today, the MET reported that a trough of low pressure lies across the North and upper…
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Phuket beaches finally get lifeguards
PHUKET: It will come as little consolation to the families and friends of those who drowned off Phuket’s beaches in recent weeks, but lifeguards are finally in place on 12 of the popular local strands. New signs have also been erected at the beaches alerting tourists to the dangers of swimming during the monsoon season. A spokesman for the Phuket…
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Five-star hotel chef gunned down in Kathu
KATHU, PHUKET: A chef at a five-star resort in Phuket was gunned down in the early hours of yesterday morning. Kanchai Yoksri, 31, was found dead with two bullet wounds to the chest in front of the police radio monitoring station on Wichit Songkhram Road in Kathu. Tung Tong Police received a report of the shooting at 1am and rushed to…
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British, US warships on R&R in Phuket
CAPE PANWA, PHUKET: One of the largest and most revered ships in the British Royal Navy, the HMS Bulwark, docked at Phuket Deep Sea Port yesterday morning flanked by the USS Mitscher, an Arleigh Burke class destroyer. The 22,000-tonne HMS Bulwark – made famous for transporting 1,300 British escapees from Israeli air-strikes in Beirut in 2006 – has been operating…
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Phuket property worst hit at “high end”
PHUKET: More than 10 residential projects with a combined market value of nearly 10 billion baht remain “on hold” in Phuket, because demand from both domestic and foreign buyers – especially for luxury homes – has fallen to less than half of last year’s level. Wanwipa Horbut, deputy managing director of luxury property developer Surin Hill Development, said demand for…
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Karon residents rally against Chalong Police
KARON, PHUKET: Citing dereliction of duty and a surge in crime, more than 200 residents of Karon on Monday rallied to call for the transfer of Chalong Police Superintendent Chinnarat Rittakananond. The protest, held in a field at Karon Temple starting at 1pm, was led by tambon chief Winai Chitchiew. Also taking part was Karon Mayor Tawee Tongcham. Mr Winai…
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More monkey business at Phuket Provincial Hall
PHUKET CITY: Dog bites man isn’t news, as the old journalistic adage has it. But what about dog bites monkey – and snaps its tail off? Bleary-eyed civil servants were greeted with just such a scene yesterday morning, when a pig-tailed macaque from Toh Sae Hill wandered onto the grounds of Phuket Provincial Hall. A local dog took offense at…
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Prison Products Fair underway in Phuket
SAPHAN HIN, PHUKET: There are only four days remaining in the 6th annual Prisoners Product Fair taking place at the central stage area at Saphan Hin. A wide variety of sturdy, handmade products including tables, wardrobes, beds and baskets are on display. Items made by Thai prisoners from the 14 provincial prisons in the southern region, as part of their…
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Phuket crime: 50,000 baht reward for clues in Australian assault case
PHUKET CITY: It has taken a phone call from the Australian diplomatic mission, but Phuket Police are now renewing efforts to catch the man responsible for a horrendous knife attack on a young Australian man several months ago.In early February this year, 20-year-old Jamie Shackleton was left with terrible facial injuries after being slashed in the face with a machete…
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New medical science center opens in Phuket
SRISOONTHORN, PHUKET: The Public Health Ministry opened a new front in the war against infectious disease in Phuket late last week with the opening of the new Phuket Medical Science Center. Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai presided over the June 11 opening ceremony, which was attended by more than 200 public health volunteers as well as Phuket MPs Tossaporn Thepabutr…
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Swine flu cases surpass 200 mark
PHUKET CITY / BANGKOK: Thailand yesterday reported 51 new cases of swine flu, bringing the total number to 201, Public Health Ministry spokesman Suphan Srikamma has announced. Education Minister Jurin Laksanavisit said that nine schools have suspended classes to prevent spreading of the flu, all in or around Bangkok. Among them are such prestigious schools as St Gabriel’s, St Francis…
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Phuket “Big Cleanup” now underway
PATONG, PHUKET: Public health workers in full anti-contamination gear sprayed and fumigated Soi Bangla yesterday in a bid to prevent the spread of contagious diseases like swine flu and chikungunya. The high-profile initiative followed a single confirmed case of swine flu infection by a staff member at a Patong disco last week. Tourists and local businessmen alike were curious about…
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Phuket to Montana: Thanks for a great event!
(PHUKET): Phuket’s tourism industry is currently mired in the low season doldrums and there has been little to report in recent weeks to buoy enthusiasm. There has been plenty of talk recently of abysmal occupancy rates, imminent staff layoffs and factors conspiring to keep tourists away – from swine flu to the recent spate of drownings. Given the malaise, the…
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Aussie romps to second Laguna Phuket marathon win
CHENG TALAY, PHUKET: Reigning Laguna Phuket International Marathon champion Stephen Paine of Australia defended his crown in style yesterday, leading from start to finish on his way to an impressive win at Laguna Phuket. A record 4,500 runners and walkers from more than 25 countries gathered at Laguna Beach Resort in the early hours of Sunday to contest five separate…
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Phi Phi tourist deaths remain a mystery, autopsies inconclusive
The Royal Thai Police Institute of Forensic Medicine in Bangkok has concluded its examination of tissue samples from two young women who died mysteriously on Koh Phi Phi early last month. The evidence is inconclusive. Deputy chief of Krabi Public Health Office Dr Buncha Kahkhong said that the autopsies failed to turn up anything that could have caused the deaths…
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Free training at Phuket Meditation Center today
PHUKET CITY: A Middle Way meditation session will take place today at the Phuket Meditation Center next to Suan Luang Park, starting at 1:30 pm. The teaching monk is Phra Thada Jaranatharou. Fluent in English, Phra Thada graduated with honors with a bachelors’ degree industrial electrical technology from King Mongkut Institute of Technology, Thailand’s top engineering school. Phra Thada is…
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Phuket tourism industry braces for swine flu impact
PHUKET CITY: A vice-president of the Phuket Tourist Association has warned that travelers and the general public could be frightened by the heightened level of alert for swine flu, which the WHO raised from phase 5 to phase 6, the highest level, on Thursday. Phuket Tourism Association Vice-President for Marketing Bhuritt Maswongsa also noted that despite the phase 6 warning,…
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Amateur Photo Contest offers free stay at Phuket resort
Fancy yourself as a photographer? Got a snap that says it all about Phuket lifestyle? If so, you could win a FREE three-night stay at the Evason Phuket & Six Senses Spa in Rawai, during the Six Senses Raceweek from July 22-26. Send us your best digital photo depicting Phuket lifestyle for the chance to win your three nights at…
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World Blood Donor Day 2009 in Phuket
PHUKET CITY: The Phuket Chapter of the Thai Red Cross Society is encouraging people to make merit by donating blood on June 14, World Blood Donor Day. The event, organized by the Blood Bank at Vachira Phuket Hospital, will take place at Bangkok Hospital Phuket on Yaowarat Road in Phuket City starting at 1pm. The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes…
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Phuket marine life to benefit from dugong conservation MoU
PHUKET: After two years of lobbying by the Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC), the government has finally agreed to sign an international memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at protecting the endangered dugong population in Thai waters, the Gazette has learned.Kanjana Adulyanukosol of the Phuket Marine Biological Center’s Endangered Species Unit said the government is now ready to sign the memorandum,…
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Phuket fitness center goes bust
PHUKET: Members of the Easy Fitness Center on Chao Fa West Road in Phuket were left without a gym on April 30, when repossession teams, under police supervision, seized fitness equipment valued at several million baht, forcing the center to close.The center, which opened in 2005, offered a variety of fitness classes with membership fees ranging from Bt7,200 for three…
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Swine Flu: Phuket facing further downturns in tourism
BANGKOK / PHUKET: A Bangkok school will today be partially closed for three days after an 11-year-old boy came down with type-A (H1N1) influenza in what is the second known case of local infection in Thailand. Thirteen of his classmates have also developed a fever. Deputy Public Health Minister Manit Nopamornbodi said the Bangkok student, whose name was withheld, had…
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Sea debris killing Phuket sea life: marine expert
PHUKET CITY: A leading marine biologist has warned that the dumping of debris into the waters of Phuket, Phang Nga and Krabi is harming marine species in the region. Speaking at an event to mark the United Nation’s first-ever official World Oceans Day on Monday, researcher Kanjana Adulyanukosol of the Phuket Marine Biological Center’s Endangered Species Unit said that sea…
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Hong Kong man ill with swine flu after Phuket holiday
PHUKET CITY: A 33-year-old man from Hong Kong fell ill with human swine influenza following a stay on Phuket, the Gazette has learned. The Hong Kong Department of Health said the man visited Phuket with a friend from June 4 to 8. He reportedly developed a cough on June 7. The travelers returned to Hong Kong on Dragonair flight KA213…
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Phuket Gov to launch “Project Palmyra”
PHUKET CITY: In an effort to beautify two of the island’s main roadways, the Phuket governor is keen to plant scores of Palmyra palm trees along Thepkrasattri Road and the bypass road. At a recent meeting at Phuket Provincial Hall, Phuket Governor Wichai Phraisa-ngop raised the idea with representatives of agencies slated for involvement in the project; most seemed to…
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Phuket enchanted by MSU orchestra
PHUKET CITY: Music lovers in Phuket were granted a rare treat over the past weekend: two performances by the world-class musicians of the Montana State University (MSU) Symphony Orchestra. Under the direction of internationally renowned Japanese conductor Shuichi Komiyama, the 85-member orchestra kicked off with a rousing medley arrangement entitled Go West. Certainly not to be confused with the Pet…
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Phuket Health and Wellness Festival
PATONG, PHUKET: The Phuket Provincial Public Health Office, in association with the Phuket Spa Association, public and private hospitals, and government agencies in Phuket, will hold the Phuket Health and Wellness Festival 2009 from June 11 to 13 at Jungceylon Shopping Complex in Patong. The event, an expansion of the Andaman Spa Invitation held since 2006, is aimed at promoting…
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Phuket gets another toy library from the Phuket Community Foundation
Community Foundations (CFs) are a powerful force for doing good in society. They are also financial powerhouses. For example, Rotary has total worldwide assets – that is, investments from which Rotary clubs draw an income – of around US$700 million. In contrast, the Tulsa Community Foundation alone has assets of US$3.l7 billion, and the top 10 in the US have…
Phuket is a province in the south of Thailand. Phuket's beaches face the Andaman Sea allowing the west coast beaches fantastic sunsets right throughout the year. If you're looking for news in Phuket, go to thethaiger.com/phuket Or follow our instant news in our Facebook pages.
The good news is that Phuket is famous for its foodie scene with an enormously diverse range of local and international foods - Phuket and southern favorites, street food along with international choices catering for the 12 million visitors to the island each year. Thaiger follows Phuket news and information 24 hours a day with regular updates.
Phuket is only 'just' an island with a 300 metre bridge linking it to Thailand's mainland. We're always reporting in the news that the channel beneath is frequently dredged to maintain Phuket's status as an island. On the other side of Sarasin Bridge is the Province of Phang Nga.
Getting to Phuket is easy as the island has land, air and sea connections. Phuket is also used as a take-off point for local island trips as Thailand's largest island is surrounded by over 30 pristine islands. Koh Phi Phi and the famous Maya Bay are always in the news and would be the best known of the island's just off Phuket's shores.
Phuket is an island and a province. It's the largest island in Thailand – 48 km north to south, 21 km east to west.
It's about 20% smaller, in area, than Singapore but much less densely populated. Whilst the island nation of Singapore boasts a population of nearly 6 million, Phuket has a permanent population of around 400-450,000 (but varies a lot with the influx of tourists and a workforce that is always changing). Most of Phuket remains jungle and tropical rainforest despite an acceleration of development over the past 20 years.
Unlike some of Thailand's other popular islands (that are in the Gulf of Thailand), the news is that Phuket is located in the Andaman Sea.
Phuket is 878 km north of the equator.
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